See yourself, and your next of kin, in 'Immediate Family'

BLUMENTHAL ARTS

A scene from “Immediate Family,” Paul Oakley Stovall’s semiautobiographic take on the dynamic of family, racial and sexual identity. The play runs through Sept. 7 at Blumenthal Arts.

One family’s story reveals universal truths. 

“Immediate Family” invites the audience to see their own relatives and themselves in the characters. The production, which takes the stage at Blumenthal Arts through Sept. 7, tackles subjects such as race, religion, sexuality and most of all navigating that within a family. 

Although there were so many moments that felt uniquely Black, viewers from all backgrounds were able to find someone they recognized on stage. This is exactly what playwright Paul Stovall intended.

The cast shows a tangible connection with their characters and each other. Elijah Jones, who plays Jesse, added why it is important to stand in truth in moments when it would be easier to hide. 

“As we grow and we go out into the world, and we start to learn more about ourselves,” he said. “We then have to wrestle with, do we still agree with those things, or are we ready to actually buy into something else? I think that for me is what really resonates.” 

The production balances the tough conversations with comedy without undercutting those moments. 

"It's about having someone that is not judging you,” said Kai Almeda Heath, who plays Nina. “I think sometimes the comedy is like, I see you, but it don't matter. I'm gonna still say what I got to say. I think the relationship between Jesse and I, there's trust in there.”

Director Phylicia Rashad said, “We are all people. So, we're looking at the specificity of an experience within one family and just as surely as we become specific about the truth, the truth of each character, the truth of their relationships, we can touch a universal chord.”

The play tells the story of putting superficial differences aside and putting love first. 

“Culture is rich and beautiful, and to be embraced, yes? But who a person is, is much more than their culture,” Rashad said.

Comments